About

SPRING 2015 WORKSHOPS FEATURE:

Doe Branch Ink is a retreat located on 50 acres nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Just 30 miles north of Asheville in lovely Madison County — “The Jewel of the Blue Ridge” — our retreat takes its name from a spring fed stream that flows from high in Pisgah National Forest into the French Broad River, a protected National Scenic Waterway. We offer visitors experiences of several kinds: in the late spring and early fall, we organize facilitated workshop experiences for 6 to 8 guests with successful artists in residence who are also proven teachers. Workshops are offered in both week-long and weekend formats. At other times of the year, our guest house is available to rent for individual writers’ leaves or writers groups , both short and long-term, or for other artists suited to our setting.

We welcome participants of all levels to our workshops; what matters is a sense of purpose and willingness to participate in a supportive community. During the week you will have substantial time for individual work interactions with an artist-in-residence, evening readings and optional recreational activities. Participants have one-on-one conversations about their goals and work to date with the artists-in-residence based on a work sample submitted in advance. Artists-in-residence also lead discussions and readings; there is typically no formal course work Above all, Doe Branch Ink offers time away from daily activities and time to pursue your craft and talk to others equally engaged in their creative work.

Since our workshops began in the fall of 2010, we’ve had participants from District of Columbia, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State — and Qatar in the United Arab Emirates. We are delighted to welcome such diverse and talented writers and artists to Doe Branch Ink!

“Doe Branch Ink is a relatively young enterprise which has developed a mature presence. I was welcomed and taught, supported and freed. The environment is superb to engage in writing and to think about the future of your writing ambitions. It was a creative week like few I have known.”

“I have attended several writing conferences but received more at Doe Branch through the personal touch, intimate setting, and interaction than in any other writing experience.”

“Fresh from a week at the at the Doe Branch writing retreat, I have new energy and greater confidence about my writing. . . . . I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to jump start his or her writing.”

“An extraordinary value. . . . I learned a lot in a short period of time, lessons that I’ve employed already in my writing.”

“I had a spectacular week at Doe Branch. All in all, it is a perfect place for inspiration, for starting or re-starting your writing life. “

“My time at Doe Branch ranks as the most powerful professional experience I’ve ever had.”

“What I gained from the Doe Branch experience is priceless.”

After you’ve had a chance to look over the Doe Branch Ink site, we’d love to have your quick feedback. Please use the comment box for any other questions or suggestions. We want to know your needs and will try to design programs to meet them. There is also a short 3 question survey on the last tab.